From guidelines to clinical practice: cardiovascular risk management in inflammatory arthritis patients

Br J Community Nurs. 2013 Sep;18(9):424-8. doi: 10.12968/bjcn.2013.18.9.424.

Abstract

There exists significant evidence of increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in comparison with the general population. This finding has been supported by a number of guidelines recommending screening for CV disease risk in patients with the disease. However, the opportunity to identify and manage those patients at risk has been missed in both primary and secondary care. The success of CV risk management in diabetes patients provides a clear incentive to identify and actively manage CV risk in all RA patients as part of routine practice. This article provides an approach that shows how to assess for CV risk in standard clinical practice.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / epidemiology
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / therapy*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Comorbidity
  • Humans
  • Patient Care Management / methods*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Risk Assessment
  • Self Care
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology